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3.28.2014

When we started the business, I admit that I did not pay attention to the bookkeeping side of the business. Given the intricacies and hassle of securing government permits and licenses, we chose to outsource this portion of our workload instead. It seemed the most logical thing to do. We cannot spend hours and hours of our days going to and from different government agencies when we could have spent that time on managing actual business operations and marketing.

A few months ago, I took time to look into the work of our bookkeeper/accountant and discovered anomalies from her end. I saw that she was unable to remit some of our required documents for BIR. She missed some deadlines, and worse we got severely penalized for it. Seeing the gaping loopholes in her work, I immediately dismissed her and looked for a new one.

While processing the transfer of our branch from one city to another, we were handed out a computation of our tax obligations from the City Treasurer. Lo and behold, the payables reached Php22,000! We need to pay this amount to properly close our business in this city. The fees were exorbitantly high all because our accountant/bookkeeper was remiss in doing her job.

It is a bitter lesson for us. Now, I take time to understand the paperwork needed to comply with all the government requirements. Though it can be such a pain to deal with different personalities at our government offices, I decided to take responsibility and thoroughly double check papers needed for the business. I even took time to process the business permits for our other branch myself so I can fully understand the process. I still have a bookkeeper who processes papers for me, but I make sure to closely monitor the progress of our transactions.

If you have a business and you want to outsource bookkeeping duties, here's my advice:

1) Make sure that the bookkeeper/accountant you hire is experienced and has good reviews from current clients.
We hired our former bookkeeper due to the recommendation of someone from my father-in-law's office. He knew her since they work in the same building, and he knew that she does bookkeeping on the side. However, he did not know the quality of work that she delivers to the clients. Make sure you do a background check by talking to her other clients.

2) Check if he/she is updated with current policies and trends.
These days, the BIR keeps on churning out new revenue regulations. Thus, make sure you are updated and check if your bookkeeper knows these as well. There are times when we are even the ones who update our bookkeeper because she didn't know updated policies. A good bookkeeper/accountant will be able to answer your questions on the changing policies and ensure that you comply as required.

3) Educate yourself with tax and accounting requirements.
Recently, I attended a seminar organized by a work-at-home mom on tax and accounting. It opened my eyes on the many (redundant) requirements of the government. It brings into perspective the amount of workload an accountant does. It made me realize that a business owner should always be on top of the government requirements for business. Sometimes, with all the workload that a bookkeeper is handling, you can easily be bumped off to accommodate more demanding clients. These days, I text or call my bookkeeper almost daily to ensure that they are still on track on submitting our requirements.

3.20.2014

I love breastfeeding. I think breastfeeding is one of the best gifts a mother can give to her child. That's why I felt compelled to organize a blog link party last month on why Breastfeeding is Love with fellow mommy bloggers.

I also admire women who advocate breastfeeding. One such woman is Teresa Dumadag, who has written a book called Breastfeeding: A Journey Worth Taking. I love that she shares bible verses about breastfeeding, and how she continues to motivate women to pursue breastfeeding. Breastfeeding takes commitment, and it may sometimes be daunting to first time moms. It is important to seek counsel and support to make one's breastfeeding journey successful.

This March 29, Teresa is going to speak at an event called How To Win Over Breastfeeding Challenges at the Medela House in Quezon City.

Meet the beautiful author and get a signed copy of her book!

For more details on the event, click here to access the Facebook event. Register for the event here.

3.14.2014

I've been remiss in blogging lately. With so many things I want to do on top of taking care of the baby and the household, I admit I have not been taking time to blog. It seems that my best shot at blogging is when my eldest daughter reminds me, "Mom, have you posted in 48 Photos for this week already?" I find it cute that she reads my blog.

For this week, the theme is colors. I initially wanted to take a shot of a set of colored Sharpies, but I lacked the colors so I scratched that. Then I decided to take a picture of the painting we have in our living room. This is my favorite among all. It's a painting of a man strumming a guitar by William Yu. I love it because it brightens up the white walls in our living room. It instantly gives life to the clean, white walls.

3.01.2014

I believe that a woman doesn't need to change her entire wardrobe to carry out breastfeeding in public. For the past 6 months that I've been exclusively breastfeeding, I only own one nursing dress and that's because I bought it from my online shop partner! Normally, I rummage through my closet to check what normal clothes I can mix and match to enable me to breastfeed in public when I'm out in Kali.

This post will be the first of a series featuring breastfeeding wear that comes from normal clothes. I hope this will give you, my mommy readers, ideas on what to wear when you bring your baby out with you. Enjoy!

Entrepreneurship is not an easy feat. It requires guts, persistence and a whole lot of faith. Here are ten bible verses to guide you in your entrepreneurship journey.

1. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
Starting a business from scratch is tough. When you feel moments of weakness, read this verse and say it out loud. In Christ, you can do all things. Stick to your vision and continue to believe in it. There will be times when people or situations bring you down, but do not worry as Christ is with you.

2."For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
God has placed a dream inside you to help you succeed in your business. Keep in mind that God's plans are always good, and He will always help you and protect you.

3. Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7
A lot of times we go about our own ways without asking God first. In everything that we do in business, it's best to ask from God as He is the source of everything.

4. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33
God comes first in everything. Once we seek Him, everything else will follow.

5. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3
Whether we are in business or in corporate, this verse will apply to us. God asks that we honor Him in what we do. When we give God glory, He will ensure our plans and our dreams will be achieved.

6. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
We are human, and we are imperfect. With God's grace, He helps us conquer our weaknesses.

7. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5
Being in business should not just be about money. It should be about fulfilling God's plan for you. Once you focus on God, He will always provide you with what you need.

8. If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
Always keep God on your side in your entrepreneurship journey, and you will see how God does wonders in it.

9. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24
Give glory to God with all the work that you do, and He will reward you for it.

10. All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23
God blesses those who work hard. He wants us to use the talents He has given us to fulfill His plans for us. As a startup entrepreneur, continue to work hard and not let failures dampen your spirit. God will always come through.

2.28.2014

After seeing Pat's early entry for our photo challenge this week, I got excited to take photos too! Setting my work tasks aside, I took a 30-minute break to take photos for my entry this week. In fact, I got too excited that I want to submit not just one, but two photos! Haha.

I have been obsessed with decorating our home the past few weeks. Since I cannot afford all the furniture I want, I turn to home décor. Lately, I have been acquiring indoor house plants. They are definitely nice ways to prettify a home easily.

Statice Flowers. These are flowers that you can put in a vase and they last for a long time since they retain their color after they have dried up. I read about them on Jenni Epperson's blog. I have long searched for where to buy them. The flower shops near our home and in ATC don't seem to carry them when I checked. Lo and behold, I found them in SM City Sucat Hypermarket!

Cactus Rose. I first found them in home department stores where they sell fake ones of these babies. Fortunately, I found a real cactus rose in ATC for the same price as the fake one! They're easy to maintain. All you need to do is water them once a week. Don't water them excessively as they won't like it.

There you go! My photo challenge for the week has been dedicated to my beloved house plants.

2.23.2014

I have long wanted to write about Kali's birth story at Asian Hospital, but I haven't gotten around to do it until now. I want this post to help pregnant mothers-to-be out there who are still weighing options about which hospital they want to give birth in.

I have given birth in Asian Hospital two times already. The first time was when I had my daughter Elyssa more than a year ago, and the second one with my now six-month-old Kali. I'll write about my most recent experience.

I opted for a scheduled CS this time since it was inevitable for me to have CS anyway. My OB was Dra. Ana Marie Madamba-Burgos (One of the best doctors ever! I'll write a separate blog post about this). For those moms who know they will have C-section anyway, it's best to have a scheduled one. It's so convenient.

Preparation
When we were approaching full term with Kali, we had to fix our schedule with Dra. Madamba-Burgos since she was leaving for a conference out of the country. Since I didn't want a replacement OB to handle my CS, we made sure we picked the right day wherein my pregnancy will hit 38 weeks. We handpicked a Saturday morning schedule with Dra. Madamba-Burgos.

A few days before the scheduled CS, my OB prepared a pre-operation checklist for me. This contains a detailed set of instructions on the laboratory tests I needed to take before the operation, reminders for the hospital staff, and instructions for me to follow the night before the CS operation. Her secretary already booked us for a room and prepared the admitting order for us to give to Asian Hospital. She scheduled for me to be admitted the night before the CS operation, so I can be well prepared for it.

Admittance
We went to Asian Hospital 2 PM of August 16. We proceeded to the Admissions Office for them to process my admittance. Honestly, this process took long for me. Considering that we already have a room booked, it wasn't easy to be pregnant and wait so long for my papers to be ready. The Admissions Office will verify all your details and prepare your admission. If you have HMO or health insurance, it's best to let them know at this stage. Once you're cleared, Guest Services will escort you up to your room. If you brought a car, make sure you get the parking card assigned to your room so your parking will be free during your hospital stay.

As I searched for Asian Hospital admittance information, I chanced upon a pre-admission form that they have posted online on their website. I guess it's another way of reserving a room for you. Kindly confirm it by calling the hospital itself. We didn't go through this process as we made the reservations personally at the hospital. Dra. Madamba-Burgos has a clinic at Civic Drive building right across Asian Hospital, so it was convenient for us to just drop by.

Pre-operation
My doctor ordered to have me checked for contractions so they wheeled me into the Genesis Center where they hooked me to a machine that monitors them (I Googled it and it's called a cardiotocograph). They use it to monitor the baby's fetal heartbeat as well. I stayed quite a while here since I had minor contractions. They continued to monitor me until my OB said it was okay to release me.

After my OB gave me the go signal to go up to my room, it was pretty much a boring night at the hospital for me. I was already hooked to an IV at that time, so I just stayed in the hospital room. My pre-operation instructions also required me to not eat anything (solids or liquids) by 12midnight, in preparation for my 9am CS.

Here comes the C-Section
At 6am, the hospital staff already wheeled me into the Genesis Center again as I wait for my turn at the operating table. For those not familiar with what Genesis Center is, it's the birthing facility at Asian Hospital. While I was waiting for my turn, I found out there were other mothers scheduled for CS that day. I was the second in line for CS. My schedule was 9am.

While waiting, my husband was in with me. They allow one person to be with you. My husband also has to go out from time to time to update family members. During this time, the in-house anesthesiologist assigned to me talked to me about his procedure and explained it to me well. He told me about what kind of anesthesia will be used, and how it will be introduced through my spine. From time to time, the nurses will also ask questions and update me on other procedures required pre-op.

A few minutes past 9am, I was wheeled into the operating room which is just beside Genesis. The anesthesiologist administered regional anesthesia wherein half of my body from the waist down was numb and I was still awake. I started to feel cold so I just asked them to cover my arms to make me feel a bit warmer. They started the CS operation when my OB and pediatrician were both present.

The actual CS operation takes less than an hour. They opened my belly up, took the baby out and stitched me back up while they were cleaning the baby and taking her measurements. I was awake the entire time.

What's good about Asian Hospital is that they allowed my husband to come in and take photos (not of the actual operation, but of the baby of course).

Here's Kali out of the tummy!

You're so beautiful in my eyes love.

Daddy's first picture with Kali! Kali was brought to a heated portion of the operating room.

After she was cleaned a bit, she was brought to me. Her cry was music to my ears.

All cleaned up! Here's Kali in the Huggery. That's what Asian Hospital calls their nursery.

My C-section experience in Asian Hospital was good overall. Since it was scheduled, it was very convenient and I was emotionally and mentally prepared for it the whole time. It was convenient for my husband too as he didn't have to go through panic while anticipating our child's birth.

This post chronicles my personal experience with Asian Hospital. If you're a mom-to-be who came across this post and have queries about my experience, feel free to comment or email me at hello@chicmompreneur.com. I'll try my best to answer all of your questions!

If you're asking about the cost of my entire hospital stay and operation, I'll give you the costs we incurred at that time. However, it's best to check with Asian Hospital to get their updated rates.

2.22.2014

My husband and I are not fond of Valentine's Day dinners. Since everyone wants to celebrate and dine out, restaurants are almost always full and traffic is horrible everywhere. We believe we don't need Valentine's Day to celebrate anyway.
To celebrate Valentine's Day, my dear husband planned a fancy dinner for us before Valentine's day itself (kilig much!). I appreciate my husband for making effort to make our celebration special. He was actually stressed while choosing among his options that he had to consult some friends and family to help him select the best dinner venue.

The dinner venue was secret to me until we actually arrived there. My DH was so excited about it and he kept talking about his selection adventure in the car. He accidentally slipped a clue that we were going to eat Japanese. I thought we were going to one of the restaurants in Little Tokyo, but it turned out that we were going to Inagiku in Shangri-La Makati. I was so excited when we were parking, and I was thankful that I dressed up a bit for dinner.

We arrived on time for our reservation and the place was still filling up with customers.

My forever date! (Sorry for the blurry pic. It was hard to take a clear shot with the low light in the restaurant.)

House Tea. My husband noticed that they really have matcha at the bottom, which is the finely milled or fine powder green tea. According to Wikipedia, the Japanese tea ceremony centers on the preparation, serving and drinking of matcha. I can honestly say that they have very good green tea.

Edamame P190. Boiled young soya bean with salt. It was my first time to try edamame, and it was nice to munch on something soft while waiting for our main course. The salt adds a lot of flavor to the soya bean.

Jo Chirashi Sushi P1,300. Assorted seafood topped on sushi rice. My husband ordered this since he loves to try different types of sushi. Look at how pretty it is and how they prepared it so delicately. Everything was good, and my husband was so full from his chirashi.

Spicy Shake (Salmon) Temaki P335. I ordered this temaki for me. At first, the spice was concentrated at the top but once you bite down, the salmon serving is good and very appetizing. It was a bit spicy for me, but I still loved it anyway.

Namasaba Shioyaki P980. Grilled mackerel with salt. Since DH already had chirashi, I ordered from the Yakimono section instead. At first I didn't want to eat rice, but when I tasted how good the mackerel was, I had to order rice! It's even better when eaten with rice.

Happy tummies after a great Japanese meal!

They even brought us a complimentary dessert.

For those who love Teppanyaki, they have a section just for that.

Of course, who would miss the sushi bar?

All in all, Inagiku is a great Japanese restaurant that I would love going back to. I would like to try their other offerings in my next visit. We'll save this one for special occasions.

2.21.2014

A few days ago, I asked my husband if we can visit Our Home in SM Southmall because I wanted to set up our home office and they were on sale. Unfortunately, we didn't find anything. I found an even better deal for the house though over at Regalong Pambahay!

I have seen Regalong Pambahay plenty times when I've visited some malls, but I've only went inside a few times. This time, I decided to go in and look at their items.

And look what I found! Gorgeous chevron and grain sack pillows.

This post makes me giddy as I share it because I absolutely love these pillows! Even better, I got them on sale!

Black chevron pillow at P300 (50% off from original price). I wanted to get another one, but it was their last one on stock. I even asked them to check other branches, but unfortunately they also don't have stock. I just got the last piece.

Grain sack pillows for only P350 (30% off original price). They are a bit bigger than the chevron pillow. I absolutely love the designs.

These pillows instantly gave my couches a makeover, and I only spent a total of P1350! Even if I didn't take home an office desk, I already felt so happy with my throw pillows. They're such a good deal. When I looked at throw pillows over at Our Home, most of these cost around P500-P600, and they are even sized a bit smaller.

I love sunsets! May it be from the beach, over skyway or from our house. When we're driving home and the sky is colored with different hues of yellow, orange, purple and even pink, I tell my kids that it's the work of babies in heaven painting the clouds. If you've been following my blog, you probably would have read about my dear daughter Elyssa whom we lost over a year ago. We keep her memory alive by always talking about what she's probably doing in heaven.

I think sunsets will always be a testament of God's grace. The beauty of nature is proof that God loves us.

For this week's photo challenge, I decided to capture the early hues of the sunset to give it a different take. I was fortunate to have good cloud formations for my shot. I took this over our neighbor's tall bamboo plant. I took a walk with my daughters down the street where we live in and I found a good angle for the sunset. Fortunately, I was able to avoid all those Meralco wires in the shot.

2.16.2014

Second week of the 48 Photos challenge! I dedicate this week's photo to my husband. Wherever we are together is my favorite place (Cheesssyyy!!!). With a new marriage anchored in God, I just love it that we do everything together. We raise our kids together in love. We nurture our marriage to the best of our abilities. Being with him is my favorite place.

2.14.2014

I never knew unconditional love until I became a mom. When I gave birth to my firstborn daughter Annika eight years ago, all I could ever think about was how to provide the best for her. When I look at her, my instinct is to nurture her and make her happy.

I thought I had given all that I could for Annika. You see, she was mixed-fed. I was a working mom and traveled a lot. I didn't have access to information about breastfeeding back then. Annika was not exactly the healthiest kid. She has been hospitalized twice before she turned 3 for varying degrees of dehydration.

It wasn't until seven years later that I discovered I could have given so much more. Several years later, Elyssa and Kali came into my life. Elyssa was our preemie child, who we unfortunately lost six days after her birth. As a preemie, Elyssa needed all the help she could get. The NICU Department of Asian Hospital encouraged me to give breast milk as much as I can. Since she was born premature, I had no milk to give yet. I pumped and pumped religiously every 2 hours until my hands were aching. I worked hard to give Elyssa that precious colostrum. All I could think of was helping her survive, and I gave it all the effort my body could muster for it. We used to save every drop of milk that will come out from my pumping. We used a syringe to carefully draw in as much breast milk that we can. Unfortunately, Elyssa passed and went up to heaven.

A year and a half after Elyssa passed, we were blessed with another daughter. We named her Kali. This time, I was determined to give her the best nutrition I could possibly offer. I researched voraciously about breastfeeding. I made it a goal to have zero formula milk for my little one. Armed with information, I discovered breastfeeding was not such a difficult journey after all. With commitment and effort, it is entirely possible to exclusively breastfeed my precious one.

Although there are countless articles online about the benefits of breastfeeding, a lot of mothers out there still opt to formula feed. In statistical data given by CDC, only around 38% of babies were breastfed exclusively through 3 months. A mere 17% were breastfed exclusively through 6 months. This is such a sad number, considering that breastfeeding should be the first option available to a mother when feeding her child. Breastfeeding is convenient and hassle-free. No need for bottles, sterilizers or any other equipment to feed one's child.

The past six months, I am happy that I have exclusively breastfed my little Kali. She is growing up healthy and strong, and I am amazed that her nutrition merely comes from me! It wasn't an easy journey from the start. I had to make effort to establish my milk supply. After my c-section, I dragged myself groggily to the nursery to help Kali latch on to me. For the next three days, my milk didn't exactly come in. The doctor assured me it was okay to wait until my milk finally came in. Just in case I needed it, she handed me a prescription of formula milk. Determined to stick to my goal of no formula, I had Kali latch and latch until my milk came. Even if my little one was sleepy, I would have her latch strictly on a two-hour interval. With God's grace, Kali and I were able to make our breastfeeding tandem work.

As I look at my little Kali, I am happy to see her happily full and milk drunk after a feeding session. She would cling to me and hug me while she nurses, and it is one of the best feelings in the world. It makes me feel content seeing that Kali feels she is loved through breastfeeding. I know she knows in her heart that she can depend on Mommy. Just like how she was nurtured while she was in the womb, that experience continues on with breastfeeding.

I know that breastfeeding is the best form of nutrition I could possibly give, simply because it is God-designed. Before any formula and other substitutes, God only intended for mothers to breastfeed their children. And when God designs, it is always perfect.

When I look at mommies I know who resort to formula milk for their own reasons, I wish I can let them experience the joy of breastfeeding. Honestly, it doesn't really take a lot of effort. It just needs commitment. For me, breastfeeding my baby is the highest form of love I can give her at this stage of her life, and I am grateful I am able to provide it to her.

This post is part of the "Breastfeeding is Love" blog link up party.

Please feel free to visit other posts from fellow mommy bloggers on the joys of breastfeeding!

2.07.2014

I recently joined a photo challenge with fellow mommy bloggers led by Kim from Mom on Duty and Camille from Lollies and Lipsticks. I like it because it would challenge me to come up with interesting photos weekly. I have always loved photography, yet I never took time to study it closely and meticulously. Here's my photo for this week:

Live. Laugh. Love.

I wanted to express what I currently feel, and I feel very happy and blessed! God is blessing my life in so many ways, and I am extremely grateful for His grace in my life.

I took the photo using my Canon G12 camera. If you're interested to join the 48photos challenge, feel free to post photos on your blog every Friday! Here are our weekly themes:

I used to worry a lot. Ask my husband. He can tell you the stress I feel (--and he feels!) when I worry about things.

I worry most about financial situations. When the bills come in, I worry that we don't have enough current funds to cover them. I worry that our savings are being depleted because we spent more than we should have.

When we began our Christian walk, our faith that God is in control became stronger. This question always rang in my head, "If you believe in God's infinite grace and that He will take care of you, then why worry?" Since then, I worried less and less. These days, I am 100% confident that we will always be blessed because God is taking care of us. He is in control ALL the time.

Recently, we were blessed with new opportunities to expand our business. We were offered contracts with a very established landlord here in Manila. We knew this was truly a blessing from our best Business Partner, God. Yet an expansion would only mean one thing -- we needed funds to propel it and make it happen. At this stage of our business, everything is just enough to maintain our current operations. We don't have extra funds to cover any new branch. I honestly didn't know how to finance it. I just prayed and said, "God, I know you are taking care of us."

Contract signing week came. I made plans to collect payment from a condominium I sold months ago and encash one of my investment plans with an insurance company. I thought my plan was smooth.

The first hiccup came. It would take at least 3 weeks to a month to process my encashment. I thought to myself, "Maybe I can just find someone to finance us for 3 weeks and repay that person when I collect my encashment."

Then, the second hiccup came. My buyer texted me that maybe the payment can be deposited any time within the week. Okay, that's not a guarantee either.

Despite all this, I did not worry. I just prayed and believed that God is taking care of us.

Contract signing day came. To our knowledge, we had no funds at that moment. I thought that maybe I can just iron things out in the next couple of days. While we were on our way to the landlord's office, I got a text from an online buyer that she already paid Php180 for the balance of her package to be shipped the same day. I quickly checked BPI Mobile to confirm her transaction. When I checked my account, I did not just receive P180. There was another transaction that came in and it was far more than the amount we need to close the deal! The condo payment came in. I only asked for so much, yet what came was double that amount. I don't need to even encash my investment plan anymore.

Wow! God is so amazing! I can't help but feel giddy as I write this post. I know in my heart God answers prayers ALL the time. He just needs us to BELIEVE.

As if that wasn't enough, God just subtly reminded me of the rewards of seeking first His kingdom above all things. When I opened my Bible in my phone, my verse of the day is this:

How very apt the bible verse was for my experience today. Thank you Lord for being in my life. Thank you for loving us always. You are awesome! I love You Lord!

2.04.2014

The customer is QUEEN. Since my online shop is catering to moms who are probably as busy as I am, I try my best to accommodate all their requests. Previously, payment methods through my site only include the following: BPI, Gcash and PayPal. Recently, someone requested if I can accept BDO payments. I've been putting it off but since a lot of customers have been requesting it already, I decided to go out and open one.

1. For convenience, make sure that you bring the following requirements:

2 pcs 1x1 ID pictures

2 government-issued IDs (I provided them my license and company ID, but it's best to bring 2 government-issued ones)

Proof of billing (just in case the bank employee asks for it)

Initial deposit: Php2,000 for Savings Account with ATM or Php5,000 for Savings Account with ATM and Passbook

2. Head on over to your nearest BDO branch with these requirements. You can proceed to the desks on the side where they accept new accounts.

3. They will give you forms to fill up. Fill them in with your information and signatures. Give these and all the requirements to the one assisting you.

4. Wait for 5 days for your ATM to be released. They will give you a slip containing your account number. You can already accept deposits at this stage.

2.03.2014

Most households here in the Philippines would prefer to hire yayas or househelp referred by their relatives or friends. Yayas from the agencies are often treated with disdain, as there are countless horror stories of major boo boos from those yayas who came from manpower agencies.

Photo from Smart Parenting website

One of my friends who has interviewed more than 10 agency-recommended yayas noticed that their answers seem to be rehearsed. Even their character references seem staged. "Pare-pareho ang sagot sa interview (Their answers are the same in my interviews)," she says. The usual story they give when asked for a character reference is that the last employer went abroad and cannot be contacted. If they do give a reference, the person on the other line doesn't seem to talk like an employer and always has excellent feedback.

When I was about to give birth to my baby, I challenged myself to survive without a yaya. I have read inspiring stores of women here in the Philippines who have run households without a yaya, and I felt that maybe I can do the same.

A week after giving birth, my mother-in-law (MIL) sent us a yaya over. My MIL, ever caring and nurturing, thought it was best for a yaya to help us since I gave birth via C-section and was still in the early stages of recovery. I also acquired high blood pressure after my CS, so it really wasn't good for me to lack sleep and be exhausted. My MIL has searched high and low for a yaya recommended by friends and relatives, but unfortunately she found none. So she turned to the agencies (gasp!).

Meet Yaya J. When I first met her, I asked her a lot of questions. Unlike most of our previous househelps wherein it was okay to accept them immediately because they were recommended by so-and-so, I thoroughly interviewed her to make sure we didn't get a bad egg. Where did you come from? How long did you stay in your last employment? What's the name of your employer? The list goes on.

To ensure that her stories are right, I prodded her about details. I asked her about her routines with her previous alaga. Her previous employer migrated to Canada and she stayed with them for seven years. I asked her for the Facebook account of her previous employer, and she willingly obliged.

As she went on her first week with us, I carefully watched her every move. My baby was just a week old back then, so it really was not easy to just entrust her to a stranger. I noticed Yaya J is hardworking and neat. Since I take care of the baby at most times (high blood pressure and all), she is left to other duties like washing the baby's clothes and preparing things we need. She was hired to focus on the baby, so she didn't need to cook or clean or wash our clothes. Yet since I took care of the baby, she made effort to do other tasks. She fixed our closets, cleaned the rooms, and help with the cooking.

Since then, Yaya J has stayed with us for five and a half months (same age as my baby). Her main task is to take care of the baby, but since I'm around she also cooks for us as well. I see that she has grown attached to my baby, and I'm very thankful that she cares. I see her play and read to my baby. At most times after I nurse, she will always come to me to ask if she can carry my baby already so I can do my other tasks for work. She takes days off only twice a month.

When at first I had doubts about her capabilities since she came from an agency, Yaya J has totally proven me wrong. It is possible that a good yaya can come from an agency.

Please do note that I am not recommending households to go out and hire agency yayas since it worked for me. I believe everything still boils down to the competence and character of the yayas that these agencies recommend. Interview them thoroughly and test their character by observing them closely.

For those who want to know which agency Yaya J comes from, please leave a comment or shoot an email out to hello@chicmompreneur.com.

2.02.2014

I spend a lot of time researching about home design ideas to make up for my lack of interior design skills. I dream of creating a clean, modern-looking home that is cozy and inviting to our family and friends.

This post is mainly for my own reference. I'm happy to share this with all the other homemakers out there who are in the process of building their homes.

My home inspiration today is Cameron Diaz' California-style home in The Holiday movie. If you recall, she has a beautiful white home mainly filled with accents of beige and gray. Here are pictures of her lovely home in the movie:

Entrance

Bedroom

Living Room

Kitchen

Isn't it absolutely gorgeous? What do you think? Feel free to share your home inspirations as well!

2.01.2014

Since it was a holiday last January 31, the hubby and I grabbed the chance to have a lunch date at Ukkokei Ramen Ron in Makati. The timing was perfect since there was minimal traffic in Makati due to the holiday.

Ukkokei Ramen Ron is located in the ground floor of Paseo Tesoro building along A. Arnaiz Avenue in Makati.

The restaurant is spacious and can accommodate groups of people. They have different types of seating too. Upon entering the restaurant, you immediately see the low traditional Japanese tables where you leave your shoes aside and sit on pillows on the floor. This type of seating is called zashiki (thank you Google for the reference!).

You can also choose to sit by the bar. You have full view of their glass-encased kitchen that way.

We chose to sit at the Western style seating area found to the right of the restaurant upon entry. They prefer to seat the smaller groups of 2-3 here since they can simply separate the tables.

We ordered their lunch set (priced at P380). Since the Higawari set is not available, both of us ordered Set A. They have 2 rules for their lunch set: (1) It's good for one person. Don't share a lunch set with another!, and (2) They don't offer it for take-out.

Here's the yummy vegetable and macaroni salad that comes with the set.

You can choose which rice you prefer -- fried rice or plain.

Gyoza. Honestly, it's not as good as the ones they serve in Seryna in Little Tokyo.

My husband ordered Tamago on the side as extra order. Don't ask me how it was. I don't eat egg! The husband says it's not as good as the one they have in Yushoken Molito though.

And now for the main event -- the ramen! Their menu made me understand ramen better. Ramen in Ukkokei is available in 3 different sauces: Shoyu (soy), Shio (salt) and Miso (soybean paste). When ordering the lunch set, you can just specify which kind of sauce you'd prefer.

A quick tip: They also offer Tantanmen ramen (spicy-flavored ramen), but it's not available on the menu. They only have a few bowls to offer each day since this item is limited, so make sure you head to Ukkokei early if you want the Tantanmen!

We were extremely happy with our ramen at Ukkokei. I ordered Miso ramen, while the husband ordered Shoyu and both were equally tasty. We honestly prefer this ramen over the Yushoken ramen at Molito. If you're craving for ramen, Ukkokei is an excellent bet. Make sure that you go early during lunch time to get a seat.